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Breakaway w-base fastener

Breakaway w-base fastener description/claims

This Non-Provisional Application claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/878,825 filed on Jan. 5, 2007.

The present invention relates generally to fasteners, and more particularly, to w-base fasteners.

It is known that fasteners are used in various applications to perform various functions. It is further known that numerous types of fasteners are used in various automotive applications. A common fastener that is widely used throughout a vehicle is known as a w-base clip or w-prong fastener (hereinafter “w-base fastener”). The w-base fastener and its fastening scheme provide a simple yet effective solution to many fastening needs. As a result, this fastener is economical, functional, and widely accepted among the automotive industry. Exemplary w-base fasteners are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,851,097 and 5,797,714, both assigned to Illinois Tool Works, Inc.

Regardless of size or complexity, the w-base fastener utilizes some basic principles in fastening. These principles include multiple legs that compress towards a common member, of which the legs are attached, during the installation in a hole. These legs then expand to engage the backside of the hole to which the fastener is mounted to hold the fastener in a mounted position within the hole. The fastener also includes a head or similar structure that permits items to be mounted to the fastener. The w-base fastener provides an excellent method of retention with an outstanding insertion to extraction force ratio.

A known drawback exists, however, when servicing or replacing the known w-base fastener. This problem occurs when the backside of the hole in which the fastener is inserted is not accessible for disengagement of the legs. In this situation, which is a common occurrence in a vehicle, the hole may be damaged upon extraction of the w-base fastener, rendering the hole useless. In other situations, the legs of the fastener may break at a certain load, with the resulting broken w-base pieces remaining in the hole. The invention overcomes these and other known problems by providing a means of securing the w-base fastener to the hole with the option of servicing or replacing the fastener should the need arise without damaging the hole when the fastener is extracted and without leaving any portion of the fastener in or behind the hole.

The present invention is directed to a w-base fastener that may be used in many applications, including numerous applications throughout the automotive industry. The invention provides a fastener that combines the functionality of a w-base fastener with the serviceability of other fasteners. Indeed, the invention provides the ability to service the w-base fastener without damaging the panels or hole in which the fastener is inserted.

The invention achieves this desired serviceability by providing a w-base fastener that incorporates a breakaway or extension element. This element can be one of multiple embodiments that achieve this serviceability objective. Upon insertion, the w-base fastener of the invention functions in a manner similar to known w-base fastener designs. That is, the legs flex inward toward a common member by pressure exerted on the legs by the edge of the hole. After completely passing through the hole, the legs flex outward creating an interference fit between the backside of the hole and the legs, thereby securing the fastener to the hole. A break point or extension joint is provided in the base of the fastener to either detach or extend under a predetermined load, such as during separation of a secondary panel from a primary panel. The fastener is configured to include hooks disposed on the body to grab the w-base legs during removal and force the legs to collapse during extraction of the fastener from the hole so that the entire fastener can pass freely through the hole without causing damage to the hole.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims and drawings in which like numerals are used to designate like features.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a w-base fastener of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a close-up isometric view of a hook element and a leg element of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a close-up isometric view of a hook element and a leg element of an additional embodiment of a w-base fastener of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an isometric partial view of an exemplary embodiment of an installed w-base fastener of the present invention, illustrating the positions of the hook and leg after the fastener has been subjected to a load sufficient to separate the fastener at the break joint.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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